2:52 AM,
Aug. 4, 2013

Written by

Logan T. Carlson
Central Wisconsin Sunday

The lawmaker who introduced tougher drunken driving laws said he wouldn't support raising taxes on alcohol consumption to help offset increased incarceration costs associated with his bills.

Wisconsin has some of the lowest alcohol taxes in the U.S., accounting for about 0.36 percent of the state's total tax revenue in 2011, according to a recently released U.S. Census Bureau report. That puts the state 38th in the nation in terms of the percentage of overall tax revenue that comes from alcohol taxes.

While generally in favor of user fees, Rep. Jim Ott, R-Mequon, said he doesn't think ...